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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Avista customers in Idaho likely to see natural gas rates drop

Avista Utilities’ Idaho customers could see a slight decrease in natural gas rates effective Nov. 1, resulting from rate adjustments related to power costs. If the utility’s request is approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, residential customers using an average of 60 therms of gas per month could see their bill decrease by $1.16, or 2 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $58.32. The adjustments are filed each fall to reconcile the wholesale cost of natural gas purchased by the utility with the amount included in rates. Last winter, Avista’s Idaho customers used more natural gas than usual, resulting in higher revenues for the company, officials said. Avista does not mark up the cost of natural gas purchased to meet customer needs, so the filing would not affect the company’s corporate earnings, Avista officials said. About 55 percent of a customer’s gas bill is the combined cost of purchasing natural gas on the wholesale market and transporting it to Avista’s system. The remaining 45 percent covers the cost of delivering the natural gas.